1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with an improved baking process of the sponge dough type which yields final baked products having a high degree of uniformity coupled with extremely long shelf lives. More particularly, it is concerned with such a sponge dough baking process which combines a number of relatively critical processing steps, particularly in the treatment of the sponge fraction, to give significantly improved bread products such as bread and rolls.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The sponge dough process has long been used by commercial bakers in the preparation of white and varietal bread products (e.g., white breads and rolls, crisp tops, honey wheats, ryes and pumpernickels). In the case of standard white breads for example, the typical sponge dough process involves separate preparation of a yeast-containing sponge fraction and a corresponding flour-based dough fraction. Generally speaking, the sponge fraction includes a substantial proportion of the total flour content of the resultant baked product, typically on the order of 80% by weight. After the sponge is initially mixed, it is allowed to ferment, usually for a period of from 3 to 41/2 hours until the sponge rises and falls. Thereafter, the sponge is normally allowed to stand for about 20 minutes to allow maximum development of the sponge and the gluten therein. The sponge is then mixed with the dough fraction to produce a final dough. This final dough is then normally divided, rounded, molded and baked.
While sponge dough processes of the type described are well known, and the products resulting therefrom are of generally high quality, a number of problems still remain. In particular, commercial bakers are always interested in extending the shelf life of their baked products, inasmuch as long shelf times reduce costs and returned products. Generally speaking, typical white breads have a shelf life of only three to five days.
Another problem faced by commercial bakers is that their baked products may vary from batch to batch. This can be a significant drawback, because consumers have come to expect very consistent qualities in commercial bakery products, and will reject those which look or feel different, even though the breads may be perfectly acceptable from a nutritional point of view.
There is thus a decided need in the art for an improved sponge dough process yielding essentially identical and equivalent products in successive batches, while giving significantly enhanced resistance to staling and correspondingly longer shelf lives.